Can you do your current job until 68?

[CrystalVision]

Me and DH are trying to work out plans for the future. I'm 44, he's 48. I'm high up in an office based professional role (think Head of HR) and he's a builder. I'm trying to get to a Director position as I think I'll be better protected against younger (cheaper) whippersnappers doing my job but I feel like this will be completely exhausting in even 15 years time, never mind 25. It's even worse for DH as building is a young persons game (his words). The reason we're worrying is that we've recently moved and to afford it, the term is currently running til we're 73. Obviously we're trying to overpay and will reduce the term when the five year rate ends, but it's got us worried that we won't be able to work at the same rate we do now when we start to approach retirement. Two kids (4&6) so at the point we might be looking to drop hours, we'll be part funding university! Are we the only ones in this position??

Yes, easily. I wfh in Finance.

Physically, yes. Desk job, 80% WFH. Have 8 years to go. But mentally not so sure. Internal policies and politics mean sometimes it is hard to actually get the work done. And I am getting more and frustrated with this aspect. Considering going part time in just under 4 years. Mortgage has been paid off for a little while already.

Yes. I don't fancy it though.

No, I’m a nurse, no way I will be doing it at 68!

I’m 49, my dses are in university currently and our financial position is fairly sound so I will be scaling back once they are no longer funded by us and going part time in a less stressful role.

I hope to give up completely by my early 60’s or do something else very different.

I could but I won't. Not this job, anyway. Too many tedious meetings grind you down.

I’m mid forties. I’m a HCP and twelve hour shifts/shift work are brutal to your body on a ward. The NHS seems to get harder each year so absolutely not will I be there when I’m 68! My plan is to get the mortgage paid off by 55 which is about 6 years early. Which is on track too. I plan to get out of the NHS and healthcare and go part time. But doing what I’m unsure….

We’ve no kids so it’s just us to consider and other half is an office (now home) based role so he could continue pretty much to retirement. Apart from issues if ill health, concentration etc creep in .

God, no idea. We don’t think beyond tomorrow, what’s the point.

45 years old and yes I probably could. Hoping to retire by 65 (but won't be earlier than 62 based on age of kids, school fees, Uni etc) and have an office based job that I mostly do from home. I'm on a decent salary and at the bottom of the pay scale as I recently got promoted so planning to just stick at this level and work up the pay scale. No desire to be in a more stressful position. DH in a similar position.

This 100% . I am 60 and Reg Nurse . Cognition definitely not as good ,technology changing almost daily with the amount of paperwork,box ticking ,CQC expectations blah blah blah . Occasionally spend time actually with a patient .
Cannot imagine having physical or mental capacity to fulfil all expectations in 6-7 years time ..crazy to be expected to,there is a reason why retirement should be 65 max !

Bless you . I am RN in a care home and the carers work so bloody hard ,with compassion and they also have a shitload of paperwork ! I worry that the carers pension will be rubbish as well !

Definitely, as long as I keep up with new technology. I'm customer service for a utilities firm, desk based and wfh 3 days a week.

Bear in mind that your retirement age Will possibly be more than 68.

I'm in my early 60s. What many people don't realise is how your brain slows down- I can do my job no problem (admin) - but when they introduce huge changes (which they do regularly, think internal computer systems) I really struggle. And pressure of work loads doesn't help.

I am reducing my hours because I simply can't work full time and keep the rest of my life on track. Raising the retirement age was a shit move.

Really interesting thread OP, I give this lots of thought regularly. My position means I'll have to work as long at I can. My friends are all talking about retiring or dropping down to less than 20hrs a week but due to personal circumstances that won't be me.

I recently worked with a lady who retired at 70. She was lovely and I could tell had been very efficient and bright as a younger lady. I'm not being ageist this is pure fact, she had lost grasp of a lot of the job, she couldn't keep up with the fast pace of work and our projects and was being propped up by her colleagues. She had no medical issues, I think it was simply slowed down cognitive function. I dread it happening.

I'm 48 and spent all my working life looking for an interesting, not too demanding and well-paid job I could happily stay in for more than two years let alone carry on for another 20 years, and for the last five years I've had one. Niche, small organisation, employs grown ups who can do their job!

But we will also have paid our mortgage off in a few years. Who knows what health challenges there may be ahead? I know of several people who died of or who are living with cancer at my age or slightly older. So one or both can scale things down if we need to.

I will actually be applying for promotion - to run the organisation next year, which may scupper things! But at the moment I feel full of beans and ready for a new challenge/step up.

People have mentioned getting mortgages paid off to ease the pressure,my question is how will people renting manage? I work with many people who are renters rather than owners and I can’t imagine how they will cope. Also the job is physically hard for someone in their 60s .

Physically I could as it’s office based, but mentally no. I’m already depressed and it seems like groundhog day. Currently on maternity leave rethinking my career choices and I think I made a decision with great support from my lovely husband.

I have relatives who don't have pensions and rent and they've said they expect to keep working well into their 70s. They know they physically can't, but recently one of them said she hopes someone will employ her until she drops dead because she doesn't have much choice. She laughed as she said it but I know she sees no real way to retire. It's really worrying.

Physically, yes, as office based, mentally no. I am 38 and can not stand working in an office any longer in front of a computer. Every day is ground hog day. I need to escape 😫

I'm 47 and work in a food shop. Lots of heavy lifting. I've said I'll be looking to step down (demotion) when I hit 50. I'm struggling to shift the heavy stock. Can't afford to do it just yet as I've a loan I've got 2 years left on.

@Whatliesbeneath707 ubfortunately the NHS pension is the same as yours. I have a part that was 60 the more recent section (2015) that the government changed is now 67 same as state. If you take early you lose a percentage each year you take ( I think)

Many of my colleagues are on flexi retirement where they do a nominal amount of hours a week. But also older terms and conditions can apply to those that are older and been with the NHS longer than my 20 ish

Im desk based. Until a few months ago I thought yes. But then just before xmas I hurt my back then a couple of months ago I got a rotator cuff injury. Im 52 and my body seems tk be falling apart😟
In August I went on holiday and noticed both my back and arm seemed to improve a lot. Now im back sitting at a desk typing 7.5-8 hours a day its getting worse again....
My mum retured at 63. At the time everyone said how marvellous it was she went 3 years past retirement age which at the time was 60. She started to get dementia at 70.
Our mortgage runs out when Im 67 DH is 70. Hoping to pay it off sooner but have 4 DC and 2 at uni so no chance of overpaying right now

It's desk based so physically I'd be able to, but it's very much a younger persons game and I already feel far older than those also in my industry and I'm only in my 30s. I just can't imagine anyone hiring me in even 10 years time, hoping to do a career switch in a couple of years.

I've just moved from retail to an admin role with this in mind. I could do the job that I do now pretty much indefinitely, but I'd like to move to a better paid position between now and retirement.

Yes, I could have done as I worked in Finance and Health and Safety but was made redundant at 61 when my college closed down.
To help out DD I started looking after youngest grandson which is more exhausting to put it mildly for three days a week. He is two years old now but in my head I wasn't ready for retirement which caused me all sorts of MH issues (made worse by other family issues!) I really missed the social side of working and now do activities such as Playgroup, Swimming and Movement/Dance sessions with my GS which get me out and about enabling me to talk to other GPs who look after GCs too - and there are lots of us out there. I will be starting a wfh 10 hours a week job for a charity which will get me out socially too.
DH was in the building trade and has been unable to work the past two years due ongoing issues from a back operation 40 years ago - he struggles with mobility at times and has now developed tremors in his hands.
But he worked as a school caretaker for 12 years which was a reasonable transition from building work but there are definitely some jobs which could not be done at 68.
Pensions should be made more flexible but without punishing people for needing to retire earlier due to their job such as Nurses, Firemen, builders etc. by reducing how much pension they will get.

I know so many people who retired in their 60's but then needed to do something else either from a money perspective or from boredom.

Teacher friends retired, then a couple of years later go back as unpaid volunteers! My neighbour is a general builder, he's in his 70's still works. My brothers all work they are in their seventies, maintenance, concierge, consultancy. My food delivery guy is 75!

The connecting factor is that they are all part time with other interests in between, like golf. But no-one had really "stopped" physically or mentally.